| PERIOD | December 1, 2010. – November 30, 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| participants | Lead applicant: MESS Turkish Employers’ Association of Metal Industries |
Regional partner for B&H – RS: GEA Center for Research and Studies |
| DONATOR |  European Commission |
|
General objective
The main objective was to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and to develop sustainable synergies between target CSOs (employer/employee organizations, NGOs) in the Western Balkans, Croatia and Turkey, their counterparts in the EU and local/national public authorities.
Specific objectives
- contribute to a smoother integration of the European internal market by familiarizing workers’ and employers’ organizations in target countries with the EU acquis communautaire related to occupational health and safety, through the exchange of experiences and good practices for their effective implementation
- strengthen service capacities and representative capabilities to support the effective and efficient implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)-related EU acquis at company, sector, local and national levels
- assist in the development of more independent and sustainable civil society organizations by supporting the ability of CSOs to advocate and lobby their members’ interests with public authorities while providing improved services to members
- strengthen regional and transnational networks as well as closer cooperation with the EU
Target groups
- workers’ and employers’ organizations and relevant CSOs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo under UNSCR, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey
- subsidiaries/local offices of above mentioned organizations
- representatives of companies and workers participating in project seminars
- representatives of local and state authorities
- labor inspectors
Achieved results
Project activities successfully implemented by GEA as the regional partner for the Republic of Srpska:
- The conference: “Occupational Health and Safety in the Republic of Srpska – current situation and challenges on the road to the EU” was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Protection of Veterans and Disabled Persons of the RS. The event convened key actors in the area of health and safety at work, with an aim to encourage dialogue on the most important issues within this field.
- The round-table event “Risk Assessment in the area of Occupational Health and Safety” was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Protection of Veterans and Disabled Persons of the RS. The conference was led by experts from Finland who familiarized participants with occupational risk assessment practices in their country, EU occupational health and safety strategies and related policies, positive economic outcomes of investment in OHS, and practical examples of good practices of investment in OHS in Finland.
- The follow-up seminar entitled “Practical Demonstration of Risk Assessment Tools” was also organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Protection of Veterans and Disabled Persons of the RS along with the Inspectorate of the RS. The seminar was attended by representatives of organizations authorized to conduct risk assessments in the area of OHS, representatives of employers, inspections and unions.
- Representatives of GEA Center for Research and Studies, together with representatives of the Ministry of Labor of RS, participated at the Forum on Occupational Health and Safety in the Western Balkans and Turkey in Ankara (Turkey). The forum was attended by representatives of partner organizations in the project, senior officials in the area of labor and OHS, and representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations from Turkey.